Man Accused Of Stealing Ind. Police Car Caught

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January 13, 2012 12:18PM (UTC)

KNOX, Ind. (AP) — A man accused of stealing a police cruiser while handcuffed in northwest Indiana, then using the radio to ask police where to find the cigarette lighter, has turned himself in.

Authorities say 22-year-old William Francis Blankenship was taken into custody late Thursday night when officers met him at his family's home in Knox.

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Blankenship had been arrested Tuesday on drug charges in nearby Kouts, a small town about 50 miles southeast of Chicago.

Police say he escaped from the police car's backseat as the arresting officer searched Blakenship's vehicle, then climbed into the front and drove off. He then used the police radio to ask where to find the car's cigarette lighter and a key to his handcuffs.